Πέμπτη, 30 Ιανουαρίου 2014

Wow! Two posts in less than a month! That is
quite the accomplishment, at least for me. This time there isn’t much to
complain about. Actually, there is nothing to complain about! Incredible.
Either I have been really content lately or nothing significant has taken
place. Both explanations are fine with me. So, without any further ado, let’s
talk about Statues, shall we?

DO I REALLY HAVE TO WARN YOU ABOUT SPOILERS
THIS TIME? I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT…

Even if you are not at all familiar with the
world of opera, chances are that you have seen Don Giovanni in some form, at some point in your life. Maybe not as
Don Giovanni, but in his many other
incarnations from books to the cinema – it is, together with Romeo and Juliet, probably the second
most popular hero in our western tradition. The incorrigible libertine, the
seductive Casanova, the mysterious Don Juan has been an obsession of both
sexes; let’s be honest with each other: Men envy his many conquests and try to
be like him and ladies do dream about him, even if they do not admit so to
anyone… I could go on explaining why this particular character is so
captivating, but I won’t.

Instead, I’ll jump straight to the point and
start discussing (with myself) the operatic incarnation that W. A. Mozart
created together with his buddy Lorenzo Da Ponte of this intriguing character.
The premise of this opera is rather simple: said Don tries first to seduce
Donna Anna à
fails (?) à
kills her father à tries to seduce Donna Elvira (his ex-wife) à runs away from her à tries to seduce Zerlina (a lovely
maiden on her wedding night) à fails à tries to seduce Donna Elvira’s
housemaid à
fails à
invites the Statue of Donna Anna’s father to dinner (!!!) à ends up in Hell. A number of
characters are also involved in this lovely plot – namely Leporello, his
servant, Don What’s-his-Name, Donna Anna’s fiancé and Masetto, Zerlina’s
husband – and let us also keep in mind that the above plot happens during one
night and one alone…

Let’s start with the discrepancies (I always
wanted to do that): This is supposed to be the guy who has successfully seduced
more than 1.000 ladies of all ages and statuses across Europe? Well, he sure
does fail a lot during this fateful night… Also, if he kills Il Commendatore on
that same night, how is it possible to invite his statue, which has already
been erected at the cemetery? When did they inter the guy? There is a huge
problem here, but we’ll go with it, because that is what makes the opera so
great! Add to that the fact that the scenes in which he disguises himself as
his servant are not at all convincing – I mean, wouldn’t Donna Elvira realize
she is not with her husband, but his servant? It is rather curious.

There is also one really stupid character; that’s
right, the Don What’s-his-Name (Ottavio. If I think about it, his name is a
disgrace to another Octavian, but that is an entirely different blog entry!
That was a spoiler for what lies ahead, by the way). Let’s see: if you compare
him to Don Giovanni, he is weak. If you compare him to Masetto, he comes off as
unmanly. If you compare him to the Commendatore, he really doesn’t strike you as
the scary kind of guy. He hates violence, has no idea how to confront his own
fears – least of all how to confront his fiancé’s fears – and he sings some
really cheesy tunes. Truthfully, it is only those cheesy tunes that save this
particular character. Thankfully, his is a minor role in the entire plot and so
we can easily put him out of our minds and concentrate on more important stuff:
the two ladies and the Statue!

First comes Donna Anna (although, since Don
Giovanni was married to Donna Elvira, she should take precedence, but let’s
follow the script here and not take things chronologically). It’s really
strange, but to me, Donna Anna was always an elusive figure, that doesn’t
really gain much substance. But there is also a certain ambiguity in her
character. No one really knows – except for herself and the Don – what happened
between the two of them that fateful night. Modern interpretations of the opera
have even suggested that she invited the man herself and then, to uphold her
honor, she cried “rape”. But what if she truly did invite him and then cry
rape? She becomes automatically the perpetrator of her father’s murder. She is
guilty of involuntary manslaughter! So, the act of pleasure seeking ends up
badly, severely damaging her and her future. The request then she makes of Don
Ottavio to avenge her father is essentially her own attempt at salvation and
forgiveness. Don Ottavio doesn’t carry out his oath, of course, because he is
quite incapable of doing that. But, this is opera, so the punishment will come
and it will be severe. Of course, one has to ask oneself why Don Giovanni should
be punished, if we accept that Donna Anna invited him in the first place!? If
she didn’t invite him and he truly wanted to rape her, then fine, he deserves
the punishment, but let’s be honest – we all like the other idea more, right?
[A truly devious mind might even argue that the murder of the father was
planned by the daughter, because she was certain he would come to her defense…
But we do not have devious minds around here, now, do we?]

Then comes the ex wife. There had to be an ex,
of course. Now she is something entirely different! Here you have a woman with
a mission! She is truly, madly, deeply in love with Don Giovanni and because
she is so in love, she tries desperately to save him from himself. In the
process she ends up saving Zerlina, but that is also part of the game. Donna
Elvira is a magnificent creature, in my opinion. She is willing to sacrifice
everything for an ungrateful husband. She ends up empty, obviously, and her
only recourse would be to join a monastery, but she has great potential. It is
the stupidity of man and Don Giovanni in particular that simply makes it
impossible for her to be happy. Also, Donna Elvira is the only person in the
whole plot, who actually foresees the unhappy end the Don will suffer in a splendid
aria in the second act, where she describes with great accuracy the fires of
Hell ascending. Donna Elvira is not mad – as many productions like to portray
her. She is merely deceived by none other than the God of Love himself. She
cannot be faulted for failing in her mission.

And finally comes the Statue. I love everything
about the Statue, plain and simple. The Commendatore before his death is simply
a man who wants to defend his daughter and his family’s honor. But after his
death, he becomes so much more: He is Death incarnate, he is the right hand of
Justice, he is the representative of Hell on Earth and he sings "Don Giovaaaani!" in the most sonorous bass line that was ever written. I never quite understood
why he comes from Hell, maybe he doesn’t, but I always felt that he is not godsend.
I could be wrong, but I have an argument to support my theory: it is in his
constant pleading with Don Giovanni to request forgiveness, in his vain attempt
to save the libertine from eternal damnation, that I see him as a soul trapped
in those same flames that will devour the protagonist. For some strange reason,
he wishes to spare his mortal enemy the agony he is suffering. All in vain, of
course. The Don is a narcissist above all and the last thing that would cross
his mind would be to ask for forgiveness. So they both end up in Hell, probably
sharing a hot tub…

This all then is supposed to be a “dramma giocoso”,
a happy drama! Mozart had a weird sense of humor, that much is well known and
documented. But where is the joyfulness in the plot? By the end of it you have
two dead people, a servant with no master (who instead of relishing the fact
that he is free, decides to find a new master), an ex wife who will probably
take up the habit, a failed relationship and most definitely a failed future
marriage and the happy-go-lucky-newlywed peasant pair that really doesn’t care
much about anything else other than pleasing their carnal desires. Happiness?
Joy? Definitely not. Not even the illusion of them! Only Justice (?) for a man
who was so self-conscious it killed him.

Of course, there is a “but”. This is Mozart!
Divine, elegant, melodic, dramatic Mozart. Don
Giovanni is not just about an intriguing character, it is about the music
involved in it. Treatises upon treatises have been written about it; about how
the protagonist never sings an actual aria, or about the ambiguous musical
setting of almost every scene – there is metatext to be found in everything
here! And there is excitement. I always get really edgy when the dinner scene
begins. It is the frivolity of the wine song that is contrasted with the Statue’s
ominous “Don Giovanni” exclamation that turns the tables literally. Or the
really inspired ensemble scenes, where no voice is redundant. It is passionate
music, with a touch of irony and even pain that was composed here. Was Mozart
sympathizing with his libertine? Who knows? Fact is, this opera is not just an
all time classic, but it is probably the greatest contribution to the myth of
the Don Juan. And I am definitely loving this version the most. Which is why,
when talking to Statues, I remain respectful and graceful and never ever invite
them to dinners…

Πέμπτη, 2 Ιανουαρίου 2014

I suppose that by now those who
follow this blog ardently must have realized that I am not really very good at
keeping my New Year’s Resolutions, which is why for 2014 I made none to speak
of. Considering that last year I promised myself I would at least finish the
opera count-down, it saddens me to admit that I was unable to do so. Obviously,
otherwise this would not be No. 6 on the list, but an entirely different entry
altogether. It is for two reasons that this is so: Reason No. 1 is a
significant lack of time on my part. I have begun an entirely new chapter in my
life, away from everything familiar and the everyday struggles of getting used
to a new lifestyle do drag on considerably. Reason No. 2 is a lack of an
inspiring title. It has always been, to the chagrin of my teachers at school, a
huge problem of mine that I cannot write anything – short or long – if the
title doesn’t fit. Occasionally, and only because I am being pushed by
deadlines, I deliver texts for the odd publication here and there. But, even
though I know the operas on the list, I cannot continue with the count-down,
when I don’t have a title. It is a terrible problem, but one I cannot control
or overcome. Therefore, with an extremely heavy heart and an even worse title
to begin with, I give you my first contribution to 2014 – and no, it is not an
opera by Richard Strauss, despite it being a Richard Strauss year! (Finally,
because all this Wagner-Verdi craze of 2013 was really getting on my nerves…
Especially the Wagner part!)

SPOILER ALERT! EITHER READ THE BOOK
OR WATCH THE OPERA BEFORE VENTURING FURTHER ON! ALTHOUGH, COME TO THINK OF IT,
YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS ALREADY, EVEN IF YOU DO NEITHER…

A French opera based on a German
novel authored by one of the most important authors of European history, can
either be better than the book or worse. I am not particularly fond of the
French in general, but I do grant them that they have some kick ass composers
and they are pretty much the only reason why I would learn French, should I ever
decide to learn another foreign language. Apart from French music however, I do
not really want to have many dealings with France or its people – which is why I
am probably going to end up either marrying a French guy, or having to live and
work in France at some point in my life, just to prove me wrong, as is Life’s
want…! Back to the opera, though, I am obviously talking about Jules Massenet
and his version of Goethe’s “The Sorrows of young Werther” (now there’s a
catchy title!)

The premise of the story is rather
simple and easily explained: said “young Werther” is a poet/dreamer/nature
lover/childish person who falls in love with kindhearted/duty bound/honorable/nurturing
Charlotte, who marries Albert (no descriptive adjectives for him). Said “young
Werther” commits suicide. End of story. By the way, this has got to be the
shortest plot description I am ever going to make here! It most definitely is
the shortest so far…

Ok, so now we know what happens. It doesn’t
really sound appealing, right? I mean, you have an egotistical protagonist who
commits suicide with Albert’s gun, just because he can’t have Charlotte.
Charming! Well, it is not so simple. One of the musical arguments I have with
my mother is about French opera. She claims that there are no real memorable
melodies in it. Well, I beg to differ. And “Werther” is one of the many
examples that affirm my opinion. There are a number of scenes that include some
of the most beautiful and expressive melodies ever written. Yes, admittedly
they are typically French, in that they are filled with pathos and melodrama
and gravity and all the things that make French music different from Italian or
German music. It doesn’t really flow, nor does it have a “beat”, but this
pathetic style is in itself beautiful and strangely fits the characters of this
particular work extremely well.

And that brings me to the second point
that makes this opera interesting: the characters. Granted, the whole plot in
the opera revolves around Werther and Charlotte, they have the most to sing and
the entire last act is dominated by them. And granted, too, one might even
argue that neither character undergoes a major change. Perhaps that is most
true for Werther. His sole purpose in life is to woe Charlotte and be an
artist. However, it is clear that the second part is rather unimportant to him
from the moment he meets her. The tragedy in their case is a result of both
Charlotte’s sense of duty and Werther’s weak character. This weakness is
evident in the fact that he only fights for her when she is alone with him and
never when Albert is present. He takes the easy way out. He asserts his power
only in front of Charlotte and then immediately regrets doing so. Werther is no
fighter. He doesn’t really know how to fight. In reality he is the typical
egotist. And because he also is an artist, he needs someone to both inspire and
commend him. Charlotte, in his mind, is that Muse he needs, but she turns out
to be a dark one.

In truth, this opera is concentrated
on Charlotte. She is the one that has to suffer for everything. Let us consider
this for a moment: Indeed, the two of them would make a brilliant couple if
Albert were not in the middle. Why? Because Werther, as an artist, is unable to
care for himself and Charlotte is a successful housewife, taking on the role of
the mother to her little siblings early on, with her mother’s passing. She
would take care of the artist and be his inspiration at the same time. And it
would please her too, because she is the kind of person that lives to serve
others. But, there is the small hiccup called Albert and Charlotte’s oath to
her dying mother that she would marry him. So, this idyllic idea cannot be
realized. Charlotte does love Albert, but that love is not a carnal love; it is
a love borne from duty. Werther is the wakeup call for her sexuality, but she
cannot give in to that, because she feels bound by duty.

And then there is the final act. Up
to that point the opera pretty much follows the events of the book by
condensing them of course to the absolute essentials. It is this final act that
really makes the opera better than the book however and the reason is this: in
the book, Werther shoots himself with Albert’s gun and dies about a day later
(on Christmas day) with Charlotte’s siblings all around him. The last thing he
experiences is the touch of children’s lips on his face, which is according to
his love of children and his own self – the child that is trapped inside a
grown-ups body. But Charlotte is not present in the scene, so the romance is
not really concluded. The opera takes a different approach to that and for the
better: Werther shoots himself with Albert’s gun again on Christmas day, but
this time Charlotte finds him and the two of them spend some truly tragic
moments together, with sublime music to make things even worse. And there is
also the outrageous request that Werther makes of Charlotte, which is the absolute
crowning of his egotism and proves once again that Charlotte is a victim of her
own sense of duty: he asks that she visit his grave every single day, for the
rest of her life, to weep for him and remember him and their unrequited love.
Of course we all know that Charlotte is going to do that, driving herself mad
with guilt probably and most definitely ruining her marriage with Albert. So,
in the opera’s end, Werther gets what he wants only he is not there to live it!

I cannot exactly explain why this
particular opera makes it into my Top 10. Perhaps it was the truly emotional
performances of Vesselina Kasarova in Munich that make it so special to me. I
saw the production with her three times and each time I was moved to the core
by it. It is a brilliant production (thank God the production has been
recorded, not in Munich unfortunately and not with Kasarova, but still it is
worth it). It is an extremely delicate staging, with constant references to
Goethe’s text as well scribbled all over the walls. I am glad someone took the
trouble to upload it on YouTube (you will find them if you search for "Massenet - Werther Le Bastille 2009) and I do urge you to find them! I do believe that, should you take the time to watch it from
beginning to end you will understand what I mean about this particular work.
Also, I feel obliged to the insightful analysis we made of Goethe’s text during
my bachelor studies in Greece in an extremely interesting seminar. It really
opened a new perspective on the opera for me, which might explain as well my
particular affection for this work.

Hopefully I have not made your first days of
2014 bleaker than they should be with this little homage to Massenet. I promise
that there is some laughter again further down the list… So, Happy New Year
everyone and don’t forget: it’s Richard Strauss Year, so indulge yourself in
his music as much as you can, without feeling any guilt whatsoever!